Required Tools for this tutorial (found in the downloads here under the Tools section near the bottom): Altana View May 2011 (atleast I believe thats the newest list that is available on here, someone correct me if wrong)

Step 1 - Backup (skip this if you already have a backup): - Create a new folder somewhere outside of the Final Fantasy XI folder and name it something like "FFXI Backup\" - Copy EVERYTHING from your FFXI folder to this new backup folder (atleast the ROM folders, I have a complete client backup just in case)This is to ensure you can repair your client quickly if you mess up swapping the DAT file and can easily get the original file back into your FFXI folder without redownloading the whole client in the worst case scenario. - You can also just backup the DATs you are replacing as you go (make sure you label them correctly and where their original file location was within the FFXI folder) I just chose to do a complete copy as I'm about to go hay-wire and mod a LOT probably lol

Step 2 - Locate the target DAT to replace In this demonstration I will stick to ElvaanF. The demonstration I am doing will be how to replace a DAT for a head armor (helmet/mask/etc) model. You can replace other models the same way though (gloves you wont select the head model in the viewer, but the gloves...etc...)

- Open Altana View and click the "PC" tab. It will load and display a character model in the viewer. - Select Elvaan Female (or whatever race/gender you wish to implement the mod for) in the first drop down menu labelled Race: - Scroll down the Armor section and click the dropdown menu for "Head:" and find the head armor you have equipped and want to replace - After selecting your target head armor DO NOT DO ANYTHING ELSE (important!) as Altana View will only display the path to the most recently loaded model. - At the VERY BOTTOM LEFT CORNER of Altana View it will display a directory path and file name to the DAT file for that head armor

Step 3 - Replace the DAT file - Find the new DAT file (the head armor you downloaded from here) in windows explorer and rename it to match the target dat file (26.dat, 12.dat, etc. or whatever file name Altana View displays after loading the target DAT) - Paste the newly renamed DAT into the folder that Altana View displayed the target DAT is located in (BE SURE YOU COPY INTO THE RIGHT ROM FOLDER! Otherwise it won't work at all, and will replace a completely random other model with the new head DAT file. This could even crash the game or cause other issues, so be sure to copy to the right folder.) It will ask you if you wish to replace the file, click Yes

Step 4 - Test in Viewer - Select a different Head armor model in Altana View (doesnt matter which one, just a different one than the mod). - Select the model you attempted to replace again (we do this to unload head model from memory and reload the file) - It should display the new head model on the character in the viewer if done correctly.

Step 5 - Rinse, Wash, Repeat - Do the same thing (Steps 2-4) for any other models you want to replace if replacing more than one (If you have a complete armor set you will need to do this for the head, body, hands, etc......

Step 6 - In-Game - This should work in game now, go ahead and boot up FFXI and log in! - Don't go around telling everyone to check out your awesome new Rainbow Colored Lich King mask in chat because they can't see it! (Only you can!) It may even get you banned from the servers if the wrong GM sees it on the wrong day..... - Enjoy!

Random Notes:

- Don't replace a Hume's armor with a model edit for another race... if you want different armor for your Hume you will need to download a Hume mod, etc. - If you replaced a file and it DIDNT work, you most likely accidentally replaced the wrong file and I would suggest starting over from your backup before trying again... you dont want to accidentally replace the wrong file and NOT fix it before trying again as it may cause problems that aren't immediately noticable in-game (if you replace a model on a completely different map than you are on, or a character that just doesn't happen to be on the same map as you, it may cause major issues once you finally do encounter the model you replaced on accident)

Hope this helps...

Drop a reply and let me know if you got it to work successfully.... the guide looks pretty good to me, but if you have issues let me know

Also, I'm pretty sure this site already has a guide (which is probably better detailed than mine) on replacing DATs considering this a FFXI Dat forum.....did you even search the forum before posting? Still, happy to help just find it hard to believe there isnt a similar guide available here (which would explain why you didnt get a reply for over a week....or maybe the site is just dead lol I'm new I don't know...) I also typed up this guide and have not made a single DAT swap myself just used my previous modding knowledge and toying around with the viewer noticed it displayed the file location of the DAT files, but im pretty sure it works like this.

EDIT2: A guide I just found on here with a simple search: http://ffxidats.caarrie.com/index.php?topic=350.0 it uses the same method I used myself for the guide and even has some images (only looked to see if others used the same method I typed above in theory before I sent you on a wild goose chase, but I was correct!) Search is your friend (even simply looking in the guides forum would of been your friend it was plain as day on page one of the DAT guides forum.....)

EDIT3: There are also newer file lists for Altana View available around on this forum as well, you may want to look into that.... by look into I mean search, they ARE available.... last edit haha I'm done here, happy modding